Billy Mitchell Wins $237K in Defamation Suit Against YouTuber

Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has secured nearly a quarter of a million dollars in damages following a successful defamation lawsuit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst. As reported by PC Gamer, Jobst, known for his focus on competitive and speedrunning gaming content, included Mitchell in a video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" which garnered 500,000 views. The court found that Jobst's video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims about Mitchell.

Mitchell's gaming career faced scrutiny in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards amid allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) rather than arcade cabinets to achieve his records in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr. However, after a six-year battle, Mitchell successfully had his records reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website, and his high scores were also recognized again by the Guinness World Records in 2020.

Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has won a defamation lawsuit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst. Photo by David Greedy/Gett

Mitchell's defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not related to the validity of his Donkey Kong scores but focused on claims made in Jobst's 2021 video. The video allegedly implied that Mitchell's earlier lawsuit against another YouTuber, Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith, led to Smith paying $1 million in damages and contributed to his suicide in 2020. It also suggested that Mitchell had expressed joy at the thought of Smith's death. Jobst edited the video after Mitchell's legal threat, and Smith's brother later confirmed no money had been paid.

Jobst acknowledged the court's ruling on X/Twitter, admitting that the judge found Mitchell to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony. He stressed that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his claims about Smith were based on "incorrect information from multiple sources." Jobst expressed his disappointment and apologized to his supporters, vowing to continue his work and repay their support. He also emphasized his commitment to free expression despite the legal setback.

The judge ordered Jobst to pay $187,800 (AU$300,000) for non-economic loss, $31,300 (AU$50,000) for aggravated damages, and $22,000 (AU$34,668.50) in interest, totaling around $241,000. The judge noted that Mitchell could have been justified in seeking more than AU$50,000 in aggravated damages but awarded the amount requested by Mitchell.

Mitchell gained fame for achieving a perfect score in Pac-Man during the '80s and further rose to prominence through the 2007 documentary, King of Kong, which highlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.